Tuesday, November 17, 2009

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS

What happened to preventive medicine, preventative care? The United States Preventative Services Task Force recommends women get mammograms at age 50 instead of 40 and then screened every other year. Breast cancer is a major killer of women. Why shouldn't women have every available weapon to detect it at their disposal AND paid for by their health insurance?

Isn't it true that the earlier a lump is detected the better? Why in hell's name should this be taken away from women? There is no doubt that the insurance companies will stop paying for mammograms for any women under 50 because it will help their bottom line. There are a lot of women under 40 who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. What do they do now?

Early detection has been a medical mantra for a long time. And the new guidelines are backed up by science. But, how many women under 50 will die if they do not get mammograms and don't their lives matter? This is simply OUTRAGEOUS! The science and the personal horror stories have to be melded into a reasonable, workable program that doesn't sentence younger women to a shortened life.